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I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year and I’ve only got three posts on 2015. As of now, I will try my best to post as many as possible before the year changes. This time I publish a movie review that has been in the dungeon for two years, lol. I don’t know why I wrote this post but never finish it. For those who don’t really take time to watch dramas, I present to you a movie review. To be exact, a Japanese movie: Kimi ni Todoke.

Kimi ni todoke: The poster

This is not a recent movie (2010) and I watched this long ago, probably 2011? I remember this movie as something sweet, light and feel-good, the kind where you don’t really have to think about it. But I really like it, and here’s why. Let’s start from the story.

Kuronuma Sawako (Tabe Mikako) is known as Sadako in her school, rumor has it those who look her in the eyes for three seconds would be cursed. In fact, she is just a shy and quiet girl who happens to have Sadako-like long hair. In contrast to her personality, there we have the popular guy, Kazehaya Shota (Miura Haruma). He is a bright and attractive person (like any popular guy in manga, is really good in everything, lol). Sawako admires him too, and things about to change when on one fine day Kazehaya talks to her.

Really, Sawako?

Kimi ni Todoke translated as From Me to You, the famous tagline would be “When will it reach you? My feelings for you”. It’s pointing to Kazehaya’s feelings toward Sawako who oblivious to that fact. But if we look closer, it’s actually more about relationships in general, between friends, family and someone you like. Sawako has hard time expressing her feelings so that’s why the rumors keep going and she stays lonely until Kazehaya comes to the picture. Even for those who have no problems expressing, sometimes they don’t really have the guts to say things to other people, so I think that’s the main message of this movie. To just say it. Kazehaya phrased it better:

“A pass won’t be received well by others if you don’t seriously think for it to reach them” – Kazehaya Shota

This is such a simple story, it could be typical (or is it typical? What is typical anyway? lol). A popular guy in love with the ordinary-to-outcast girl. But, what I really like about it is the characters, especially the girl lead, Sawako. She’s not whiny, she’s honest and straightforward. She’s a delicate, naive and very kind person but actually really strong. Not the strong kind like Tsukushi in Hana Yori Dango or Hina in Pen-bro, but still strong. I mean, she endured all those years being called Sadako, yet she feels bad that she can’t summon ghosts when people expected her to be (since she’s Sadako) in the courage test. The development of her character is so nice to see. Usually, I can’t stand seeing a mediocre female protagonist got the best guy at school, but in Kimi ni todoke, I feel like the guy is actually the lucky one for getting Sawako, lol. She’s so precious.

Kazehaya is by no means bad, but we don’t really need many explanations about his character. He is popular since he’s handsome, smart, athletic and nice with everyone. A really likable person you may say. Him and Sawako had me saying cute over and over again.

Friendship parts the movie bring actually tug my heart string more than the love lines. I can feel the genuine feelings between Sawako and her new-found friends, it actually teared me up in some scenes. I found the truth in this saying so much. most of the times it just happens, being a classmate then friend to best friend.

Chizu – Sawako – Ayane

“Being friends, even before you noticed, it’s happened. We become friends already” – Yoshida Chizuru.

Taken from a popular manga, there’d be differences and comparison. But I think they did a good job considering I can still get the message and feeling the warmth of this story. How feel-good the movie is how there’s no really bad person. This is totally a happy ending kind of movie where everybody turns to be a better person at the end of the day. Everything happens quite fast too, no unnecessary drama included. With that I concluded all the reasons why I love Kimi ni todoke :).

Once I coincidentally watched this movie on TV named: Courageous (2011). This movie takes four police officers as the main roles, to pictures the point of view of a husband and father. You can find and watch the movie if you want to know the details. Anyway, I found this one scene stuck in my head, as I think this is a good way to explain to all daughters how fathers feel about their daddy’s little daughters growing up and getting married someday. So, shortly the father in this video, was kind of strict to his daughter when it comes to boys, he set rules and even confront the man who wants to date his daughter. Then, he may feel a little harsh to his daughter so he takes her to dinner to explains what he really thinks about it.

“Jade I brought you here because I want to tell you how grateful I am that God gave you to me. I see my daughter becoming a beautiful young woman, and I can understand how any young man would drawn to you. But I will also want you to know that as your father I want the very best for you. One day I’ll give you a way to another man, and I want that man to love God more than anything, because if he does then he’ll love you. And I know how young men think, they wanna win your heart, but they don’t know how to treasure it. So, I’d like to make an agreement with you. Jade, if you trust me with your heart, then allow me to prove any young men that desires to have more than a friendship with you, I promise to take care of you and give you my full blessing when God shows us the right one”

I think, it’s great to have this conversation with you father. you may already know and understand that all of it is just love, but to hear it directly form you father’s mouth will be different. I had this kind of talk too but not exactly, just enough to know that he actually cares and only want the very best for each of his daughters. I believe every father feel the same. I’ll always remember it whenever I feel agitated by his nagging haha.

The main reason why I watch this movie was because my cousin is responsible for the music scoring. The most phenomenal movie of the year I guess. The Raid or Serbuan Maut starring Iko Uwais, the martial arts actor who masters in Pencak Silat. This is an action type of movie.

from heads to toes

It is from the beginning till it ends covered by punch and kick and all those moves of martial arts. Between the good and the bad. It was really really good, all of it looks real and amazing. It’s too much to handle for anyone I suppose, at least for me. Absolutely for those who is beyond 18 years old.

The story itself firstly took place in the houses of the good. Iko was seen kissing his pregnant wife before going to the ‘war’. Iko was one of the soldiers who has a mission to raid the quarters of their enemy. It was in an old flats. With only more or less 10 people in the group they walked in the building quietly until the spy boys of the enemy saw them and press the alarms. The thrill started here.

You may not be able to sit still throughout the movie, especially if you are a scaredy cat like me. Screams most likely to come out in some scenes. It was horrific yet marvelous, really intense. In the end, all the people in the theater can’t help to not clapping their hands. We are very proud of the production from our country. It’s indeed, an international standard movie.

Since my cousin was one of the crews, we still sat until the credits showed up, and when his name scrolling up we clapped and cheering for him. Our proud cousin in the most phenomenal movie of Indonesia this year! 😀

Hope to see more of great Indonesian movie like this one, any genre is good as long as the making is with all the heart on and original story. One to be put attention on is seriously, the audience. It’s definitely not a children movie. It will damage really bad if any kid watches this. I mean, even I was old enough to watch this, the effect is still pretty bad. Please, pretty please, don’t take your under aged kids to watch those movie that is not suitable for them.

Hopefully next years, high-quality Indonesian movies will raid the theaters brutally! 😀

I finally watched I AM last week after a quiet struggling process on buying the tickets online, lol. Together with my sisters who have recent interest on kpop, we witnessed most of SMTOWN members on and off stages all in the packaged of movie named I AM.

I AM

The movie itself has made quiet a buzz before it’s released in Indonesia. It’s not only because this is SMTOWN members we are talking about whose appeared in it, but also the screening were only for three days, with pretty higher price than the usual movie ticket.

We decided to watch at Grand Indonesia. The studio was opened a little late which made a long line outside the studio, seemed like I wasn’t the only people who’s excited that night. I was really eager to watch this movie, after waiting for a month, I could finally see my lovely boys, SHINee and the rest of smtown members that I followed (I really am an SMtown stan, lol).

The hype was huge; it gave the vibe as in a concert, though it’s not all about on stage performance, which makes the movie even more interesting. The members who starred in I AM were Kangta (ex H.O.T), BoA, DBSK HoMin, Super Junior (excluded Hangeng, Kibum, Kangin and Heechul), Girls’ Generation, SHINee, F(x), and even EXO.

It began with SNSD’s Genie performance on SMTOWN concert in Madison Square NYC. It was really cool, as this was my first ever experience watching live stage performance on such a big screen and sound, but they’re also stunning like mad. People started screaming already (I could hear fan boys, lol). The whole movie contained many video footages from their auditions to their debut days, and to how they are now, performing on smtown concert in NYC, included the back stages. It was heartwarming yet funny to see all those smtown kids used to be. They were much younger and in a total opposite with they are now. Through all those footages we could really see how hard they’ve been working to be the world stars everybody loves, even in America, a place where they could only dream of being on the stage before but now even people on America’s street couldn’t help to not ask for their photos and autographs.

It was amazing to be able to see their journey to glory, which was definitely not easy. Passing the audition was only the beginning, it took years to finally make debut as kpop stars, and it’s not even a certain decision. They still have to wait and hope they could be the next artist to debut among tons of trainee in the academy. They’ve got to keep going, to survive and win against all other debutant artists, whether it’s junior or senior. Being a kpop star is a total suicide, I may say harshly. Dream is the only thing that can make them keep going, because they have to sacrifice their youth (as in doing what other teenagers or even kids usually do, like attend graduation ceremony or even hanging out) to be idols. They may have the least time to spend with family in such young age, with friends, or even with themselves.

It was crazily good. I AM has the glitz, the joy, the struggle, the hardworking, the tears, the proud. All in one movie. It’s, I guess, beyond my expectation. I was enjoying every moment of watching that movie while hoping that it wouldn’t have to end so soon.

I can totally relate on the part of dreaming. Should not stop before you succeed and get what you dreamed of so long, or, if you think your dream isn’t worth your while anymore, change it, find another dream to achieve. Just don’t stop dreaming, for that is the only thing that will keep you alive. Living your dream simply means that you are becoming somebody, the I AM that you wanna be, that you are destined to be.

Hiyaaa this is the third Indonesian movie that I watch on the theater this year (which is almost over), actually, so many good Indonesian movies on 2011! I haven’t even got enough time (and money) to watch all of those. This time I took another family movie, for I am some kind of Shotakon… haha.. well, with the same cute actor that we all know I fancy so much, none other than Emir Mahira ❤ Here he’s back as his very first role, Bayu Purnomo Jati on the sequel of Garuda di Dadaku. I just watched the movie yesterday, so this review will be very fresh from the brain!

Coming from a short indie movie in 2008, DARA was making it to the theater in 2010 with the title RUMAH DARA (int: MACABRE) A lot of positive review for DARA was what encouraged Mo Brothers to made it again. Before it was aired in Indonesia, it’s already screened at international festivals and got pretty good feedbacks . And now you can see why that I got really attracted to this movie? Indonesian first ever thriller–slasher movie! Even the official web seems ‘interesting’ www.rumahdara.com

I was planning to watch it on the theater with my sister, but i was on my senior year, so yeah busy studying and all. Then, a year later I watched it at home with my sisters on the VCD! Horror night baby! 😀 (to note: it’s got banned in Malaysia and got 18+ label for sure.)

The smile didn’t last long, lol.

I closed my eyes for almost along the movie.

All I can say is COOL. the bloods the effects and the act of Dara by Shareefa Daanish, really deserves an award! and she indeed got it 🙂

go go watch it dear all movie goers, especially those who like thriller and bloody films.

to tell you shortly about the story: A group of friends in a car are about to go to Jakarta from Bandung at night. Suddenly a girl appear before their car, and stop them immediately. This girl claim to be just robbed, so she asks them to take her home, where she said it’s not so far away from there. Once they get confused of to help her or just leave her as she’s a stranger, but the pregnant woman (Sigi Wimala) in the car, feel pity so they decided taking her home. There they go to the house of Dara, which in here Dara is the mother of the house, and this girl Maya is her daughter. They’re actually just gonna drop her off then leave, but one of them is attracted by Maya, and cannot resist when Dara offer them dinner, so once again they agree with the pregnant wife to stay and rest a bit before having long way to Jakarta. That is when they make a wrong decision. Only the younger sister (Julie Estelle) of the husband’s pregnant woman (what is his?!) who feels uneasy about the house and the family living there. Yet if you see them you will not say they’re normal family. since they all are too beautiful and classic, also the language they use is rarely in polite style.

You will only find out what is in the house, few minutes after it begins. So, enjoy the nice 30 minutes of the normal living before the bloody war invade your soul. Rumah Dara, is one of the house where once you come in, to come out is a struggle. Lesson learned is you just don’t eat foods from stranger, okay? 😛

so, keep looking forward to Indonesian movies, especially this kind of genre. It will start to fill the theater. Try searching for Impetigore, or Modus Anomali, and perfect House too. ;D OH and I heard Pintu Terlarang is also great!

Finally, another review about Indonesian movie. After the last time I wrote “Garuda di Dadaku” I rarely watched any Indonesian movie, it’s not that there was no good movie in Indonesia, but it’s just me, that didn’t have much time to look for it and watch. 🙂 So let’s start again with this movie.